9 More Individuals Arrested for Participating in November 10, 2020 Unrest in Yerevan

YEREVAN — Nine additional individuals have been arrested in connection with the mass unrest that occurred on November 10, 2020, in and around the buildings of the Government and the National Assembly of Armenia. The Investigative Committee released the information in a public statement.

The arrests are part of an ongoing criminal investigation into the organization and participation in mass riots; disobedience to lawful demands of government representatives during the unrest; incitement to violence; calls to seize power and overthrow the constitutional order by force; and attempts to pressure the Government and National Assembly.

According to the Investigative Committee, close cooperation between the National Security Service and the Investigative Committee, as well as joint operations and investigative actions, led to the identification of the nine individuals involved in the events.

During the preliminary investigation, sufficient evidence was obtained indicating that these individuals, on November 10, 2020, following the public announcement of a trilateral agreement between Armenia, Russia, and Azerbaijan to end the war, participated in a coordinated group with others gathered near the Government building. Using force, they broke through police barriers, approached the building’s entrance, and proceeded to kick and strike doors and windows. They also threw various objects at the building, broke the glass of the entrance and adjacent windows, forced open the entrance door, and entered the Government building, continuing their acts of mass unrest inside.

Specifically, the individuals acted both independently and in coordination, damaging several interior doors of the Government building by kicking them and tearing apart property. Their participation in the unrest involved destruction, vandalism, and violence.

Based on the investigator’s request, and with the prosecutor’s approval, criminal proceedings have been initiated against the nine individuals under Article 327, Part 1 of the Criminal Code of Armenia (participation in mass unrest).

Search operations were carried out by a joint investigative team and relevant units of the National Security Service, leading to the identification and arrest of the suspects. Motions have been submitted to the court to impose pre-trial detention as a preventive measure against the accused.

Comprehensive measures are ongoing to identify additional participants in the mass unrest and to ensure appropriate legal action is taken against them.